Federal Office for Storm Surge Warning for the Baltic Sea

Federal Office issues storm surge warning for the Baltic Sea.
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has announced a storm surge warning for the German Baltic Sea coast. Every year, the various sections of the Baltic Sea coast are hit by numerous storm floods with more than one meter of normal mean water.

Due to the strong wind from the east-northeast with wind force between seven and eight, the water levels will rise to 1.20 meters by Tuesday morning, according to the current statement of a spokeswoman for the water level forecast and storm warning service of the BSH in Rostock. As a result of the storm, the water will be pressed mainly into the Kiel and Lübeck coves and the coast west of Rügen, the BSH continued. The following development is thus highly dependent on the wind conditions, which are currently influenced by an anticyclone over Scandinavia and a low over Croatia.

The BSH experts assume that the wind will freshen up later in the day, but the air movements will then subside. Although the water levels are still rising everywhere, but this will probably only last until tomorrow morning, so that the highest level expected levels in the Kiel Bay will not rise higher than 1.20 meters. Experts expect a maximum water level of 1.10 meters on the west coast of Rügen. Although the further development is mainly influenced by the wind, so far no floods or vulnerable dikes are recorded, according to the announcement of the responsible for the Baltic Sea coast water police station Kiel.

Since 1872, the level of the water level has been regularly measured on the Baltic Sea in order to warn citizens in good time of possible storm surges. 1872 was also the year of the Baltic Sea storm flood, where the highest water level in history was measured with a mean water level of 2.43 m. Hundreds of people lost their lives and over 15,000 became homeless. (fp, 29.11.2010)

Picture: Andreas Hermsdorf